Toy.



Patented Oct. 3|, I899.

No. 636,l06.

L.'B|DDLE.

TOY.

(Application filed May 23, 1898. (No Model.)

Q It) a I I UNITED STATES PATENT LAURA BIDDLE, OF-LEIOESTER, ENGLAND.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 636,106, dated October 31, 1899.

Application filed May 23, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAURA BIDDLE, asubject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Leicester,England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to aquatic toys, and is designed with the object of producing an automatic swimming bird (preferably a duck or swan). The said toy may be provided with reciprocating webbed feet undern'eath it or with a rotary paddle or wheel on each side, actuated by suitable connections and clock mechanism within the body or casing of the toy as hereinafter described.

Theinvention will be fully understood from the following further description in reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan of an aquatic toy or antomatic swimming duck with webbed feet constructed in accordance with this invention, the upper part of the body-casing being removed to expose the actuating mechanism in the interior thereof. Fig. 2 is a similar plan of a modification. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the rotary paddles. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line X X of Fig. 1 with the addition of the cover. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of one of the webbed feet. Fig. 4: is a diagrammatic View of the complete aquatic toy.

Like letters of reference indicate similarparts throughout the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the casing or body of the toy or bird, and B the imitation web-feet of the same, which are reciprocated or rocked to and fro in imitation of those of a swimming bird. These feet consist of thinmetallic plates with slightly con cave and convex surfaces, Fig. 3, the latter being fixed on the legs so as to face in the direction the toy travels. The said plates are attached to the legs B, consisting of wire rods cranked optionally, as shown, and passing through slots formed in the bottom of the casing and upward through rectangular passages or channels 0, Fig. 1, formed be.- tween vertical plates 0, whose lower ends are soldered around the slots in the bottom of the casing. These plates extend upward interiorly of the casing nearly to the full height of the latter, and thereby prevent the Serial No. 681,500. N model.)

water getting inside the casing when the toy is being used on the water.

The legs are pivoted at B between the plates 0 and are connected to .each other at their upper ends by a cross-head D, to which Instead of the link F a wheel or disk may,

be mounted on the arbor G and the end of the connecting-rod E fitted eccentrically on the said wheel or disk. 7

The framing J, forming the bearings for the various arbors of the clock mechanism, may be fixed to the body-casing of the toy by rivets J or other means.

By the above description, and reference being had to the accompanying drawings, it will readily be seen that, upon the clock mechanism being wound, by turning the wing-nut L-in the usual manner the connecting-rod will be actuated to and fro by. the link, and thereby impart a. reciprocating motion to the legs and feet of the toy to propel it when in Water, -in imitation of a bird swimming.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the legs and feet are dispensed with and substituted by rotary paddles M or a paddle-wheel. One each of the latter is located at each side of the body-casing and mounted on the end of a spindle or shaft N, which has bearings in the casing and projects through the latter and carries also intermediately a bevel-wheel O. The wheel 0 gears with a bevel-wheel H of the clock mechanism, said wheel H being carried on a central vertical spindle or arbor having a suitable bearing, and which also carries a pinion H gearing into a wheel 11 on a spindle H, on which is also mounted a pinion H driven from the main driving-wheel H controlled by the usual spring H and ratchet-wheel (not shown) of wellknown clock mechanism. Upon the clock mechan ism being wound, as hereinbefore described, the wheel 0 and the paddles M, which propel the toy when placed in water, are revolved.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

'l declare that what I claim is 1. In an automatic swimming toy bird, the

combination with the casing or body having slots in its bottom, of feet B, legs B passing upwardly through said slots and being pivotally connected with the body, a cross-head connecting the upper ends of the legs, clock mechanism carried by the body, and a rod E connected at one end with and adapted to be actuated as described by an element of said clock mechanism, and connected at the opposite end with the said cross-head, allarranged for cooperation as and for the purpose set forth.

In an automatic swimming toy bird, the combination with the feet and legs B and B 

